Since the dawn of the low-carb era, potatoes, rice and other starches have been deemed the enemy. But scientists say they’ve come up with a safe way to counteract the negative effects of starches so that dieters can have their cake and eat it too.

The body has an enzyme known as alpha amylase which turns starches into sugar. Once this happens, the sugar is stored as fat in the body leading to weight gain. To combat the process, scientists turned to a protein found in white kidney beans to defuse more than 50% of the starches consumed. This Phase 2 Neutralizer binds to the alpha amylase which prevents the conversion of starch to sugar, enabling starches to move through the intestines undigested.

The starch-blocking process also prevents the body from releasing calories. Hardly a new concept, starch blockers made their debut in the early ‘80s, although they were later pulled off the shelves by the Food and Drug Administration. Recently though, Dr. Steven Rosenblatt revived the power of starch blockers with his innovative Starch Blocker Diet, which supports the use of Phase 2 in conjunction with a balanced diet and exercise plan.

Dr. Rosenblatt’s three-step plan instructs dieters to redistribute calories, take emotional control and burn body fat through exercise. Of course, the most appetizing aspect of the Starch Blocker Diet is that followers can indulge in their favorite staples as long as they take the Phase 2 starch blocker.

While starch blockers can counterbalance the intake of pasta, cakes, cookies and other sweet staples, there is nothing they can do about white sugar, honey, maple sugar or high-fructose corn sweetener. 

A typical starch blocker dose is 1,000 to 1,500 mg, either mixed with a starchy food or taken as a capsule five to 10 minutes before eating. Starch Blockers will set you back $50 to $100 for a month’s supply.